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9
The number of cases notified of this complaint
compares favorably with that of the previous year,
amounting to 38 against 131 for 1893 ; they occurred
during each month of the year, resulting in three
deaths.
Diphtheria.
Eighteen cases were notified (an increase of three
on the year 1893) resulting in four deaths, one in
February, one in March, and two in June. Three
cases were reported at a house in Bedford Park, of
which two proved fatal. The third was removed to
a London hospital and ultimately recovered.
With the assistance of our Sanitary Inspector I
made a careful examination of the general sanitary
arrangements of the house and premises, which I
found in a very unsatisfactory condition, the drains
being defective and the pipes having a reversed fall
with leaky joints. A small catch-pit had been constructed
at the rear of the premises, which had been
used as a grease trap and received the waste from the
pantry sink, and ultimately overflowed into the main
house drain, which was untrapped from the public
sewer. A stack pipe was found connected with a
cesspit, the open head of which was within a few
inches of one of the windows of the house. It was
evident that both the house drains and also the main
sewer were ventilating into the windows of the house.
Acting upon my advice the Board ordered the drains
to be reconstructed in accordance with the bye-laws,
which has been carried out in a very satisfactory
manner; the bath and overflow waste pipe have both
been disconnected from the drain and soil pipe. The
supply of water was constant, and that used for
drinking purposes taken from a cistern which was far
from satisfactory.